Crisis
An Extraordinary Congress of the BSPP was held from July 23 to July 26, 1988. In his inaugural speech on July 23, 1988, Party Chairman Ne Win stunned the nation when he, 'taking indirect responsibility for the sad and bloody events of March and June 1988' (whereby many students and civilians in largely peaceful protests against the BSPP regime were shot and killed by the Military Police Lone Htein) tendered his resignation as Party Chairman. Ne Win also announced that four of his colleagues Vice-Chairman and State President San Yu, General Secretary Aye Ko, Joint-General Secretary Sein Lwin and Member of the Central Executive Committee Tun Tin, also a Deputy Prime Minister, had expressed their desire to resign. Referring to the student-led demonstrations against the government in March and June 1988 Ne Win stated that these events indicated that some people 'don't like the government' and 'the Party that led the government'. He also proposed that a nation-wide referendum be held in late September 1988 to determine whether the people preferred the one-party system or wished to shift to a multi-party system. (A translation of Ne Win's speech can be read in the July 24, 1988 issues of the Rangoon Guardian and the Working People's Daily).
Read more about this topic: Burma Socialist Programme Party
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